Decorative panels often are applied to interior walls or ceilings of buildings or to the exterior of furniture pieces to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the surface to which they are applied. Decorative panels generally are not required to contribute to the structural support of the wall, ceiling, or other member to which they are applied. Rather, the decorative panel only is required to provide an attractive and durable finish to the structure.
Many decorative panels are made entirely from wood. Others include a wood substrate to which a decorative paper or coating is applied. Although the known decorative panels made entirely or substantially from wood are attractive and perform well, it often is desirable to provide a panel that is equally decorative, but substantially less costly.
Attempts have been made to laminate thin decorative papers to a wood substrate. Although decorative panels of this type often are aesthetically attractive, it has been found difficult to handle the thin decorative papers at the press lay-up area. More particularly, the thin decorative papers often are damaged prior to or during the lamination onto the wood substrate. As a result, the manufacture of decorative panels with thin papers applied directly to a wood substrate has required extensive time and extensive quality control checking.
One type of decorative panel formed from a composite of paper and hardboard, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,339 which issued to Story et al. on Oct. 11, 1977 and is assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,339 is directed to a method of making a panel wherein a paper is cemented to a hardboard drawn from pressed defibrated and refined wood chips. More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,339 shows a mixture of defibrated wood chips and binder that is formed into a mat and coated with a glycol resin solution. A dry sheet of paper then is placed on the coated mat and the composite assembly is cured by the application of heat and pressure applied through platens.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,918,398 which issued to Dorland et al. on Dec. 22, 1958 also shows a particle board with a decorative paper overlay laminated thereto under heat and pressure.
Another decorative laminated structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,198 which issued to Morris et al. on July 30, 1957. More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,198 shows a core formed from several sheets of kraft paper impregnated with a blend of phenolic resin having a decorative sheet impregnated with melamine-formaldehyde resin and a translucent overlay sheet also impregnated with melamine-formaldehyde resin. A bottom overlay sheet impregnated with a melamine-formaldehyde resin may be applied to the opposed side of the core.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,343,740 shows a panel formed from a plywood substrate having a loosely matted fibrous web impregnated with a thermosetting or thermoplastic binder applied thereto under heat and pressure. The loosely matted fibrous web may be a paper sheet which effectively masks any imperfections in the wood substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,426 which issued to Meissner on June 1, 1971 shows an adhesive film imprinted with a particular design and applied to a wood substrate. A protective clear plastic sheet then is adhered to the substrate by means of the printed adhesive film.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,044 which issued on Apr. 4, 1972 to Hirota shows a decorative overlay paper having a dry weight in the range of 23 to 27 grams per square meter bonded to the surface of a plywood by a resin adhesive.
Although many of the above described structures perform well and are attractive, it is desired to develop a decorative panel that can be manufactured easily and inexpensively yet is desirably durable and attractive.
Accordingly it is an object of the subject invention to develop a decorative panel for use on walls, ceilings, articles of furniture and the like, and that is aesthetically attractive and durable.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a decorative panel that can be manufactured easily and inexpensively and without damage occurring during the manufacturing.
It is an additional object of the subject invention to provide a decorative panel that avoids the lamination of thin decorative papers to a wood substrate.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a decorative panel that utilizes a smaller volume of wood then the typically used panel.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a decorative panel that utilizes at least one layer of kraft paper.